odell



(No Model.) B. O. ODELL.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR. No. 317,000. Patented May 5,1885.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR -1g 1 W l ATTORNEY N. PETERS. Pholo-Ufiwgnpher, Washin ton a. c

" UNITE Srarns BENJAMIN O. ODELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW? YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DANIEL L.

THOMPSON, CHARLES A. PERLEY, AND GILMAN VVAITE.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,000, dated May 5, 1885.

Application [iled January 23, i884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN O. ODELL, of the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Chairs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement in convertible chairs; and the invention consists in a convertible chair, in combination with a ratchet-bar fixed at one end to a turning stretcher,and with an eye or staple and spring at or near its upper end, whereby said ratchet-bar may be engaged and disengaged from a pawl secured to the chair-seat, as is with greater particularity hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side View, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a back view; Fig. 3,a side view, partly in section,with legs diverging.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to that class of convertible chairs known as carriage and high chairs; but it is particularly applicable to such chairs when they are constructed so as to be converted also into rockingchairs.

In these last-named chairs the legs A and B are pivoted to a suitable base, a. They are also provided with segment-gears b, which mesh into each other, so that the movement of one leg necessarily imparts a corresponding movement to the leg next adjoining it. Therefore, if one pair of legs,as the rear pair, B,are caused to move or are fixed in agiven position the other or front pair of legs, A, will in like manner be moved orfixe'd, so that to con vert the chair from its highest position to an intermediate one or carriage, or to its lowest position,as a rocking-chair, it is simply necessary to adjust but one pair of legs, and for convenience that pair is usually the rear pair.

- To effect an easy adjustment of the legs or supports of the chair by means of simple and inexpensive mechanism, I secure to the rear legs, B, of the chair a stretcher, D, which stretcher is journaled into suitable bearings in the sides of the legs. To thesurface of this stretcher is secured thelower end of a ratchetbar, E, with ratchets 0 formed on it. This bar is somewhat curved, as is shown in the drawings, and it extends upward,terminating in a suitable knob, d. Surrounding this ratchet-bar,at or near its upper end, is an eye or staple, F. This staple passes through the edge of the seat-frame e, and to its shank or shanks is secured a coiled spring, f, also to the seat-frame e, and to the under surface thereof is fixed a pawl, g, which engages with the ratchet c in the bar E.

Now, when my chair is constructed substantially as described, it is operated in this wise: To lower the chair from its highest posit-ion to its lowest,or to any intermediate position, it is simply necessary to pull backward the ratchetbar- E, by means of the knob (1, until its uppermost ratchet is disengaged from the pawl g, (the eye or staple yielding for this purpose.) The legs of the chair can then be spread outward to any reasonable extent, and when they have reached the desired position the bar E is permitted to spring back until one of its ratchets engages with the pawl g, with which it is securely held by the resilent force of the spring f. The legs are now firmly locked in place, and the chair can be used with safety, when so locked, in any ofthe positions to which it is adapted.

To restore the chair to its highest position,the

ratchetbar E is again drawn back, disengaging it,as before, from the pawl and raising the chair, which will allow the legs to approach toward each other, and then permitting the bar to again engage with the pawl, as before described; and, inasmuch as there are several ratchets in the bar E, it is obvious that the chair may be adjusted to any convenient height.

To enable the ratchet-bar E to maintain its vertical position under all circumstances, the stretcher D is journaled to the rear legs, so that as the legs are spread apart when the chair is lowered, or brought near together when the chair is in its highest position, this stretcher will turn and the ratchet-bar E will not be disturbed and will not interfere with the adjustment of the chair, which would be the case if the stretcher-bar were fixed or immovable.

I am aware that the general form of the ICO chair is old andis shown in patent of French, In combination with a suitable seat frame reissued February 27, 1877, No. 7 ,532, and I and base, the diverging front and rear legs limit my claim accordingly, as hereinafter pivoted thereto, the revolving stretcher D, stated. the vertical ratchet-bar fixed to the stretcher,

5 Ido not claim the cliverginglegs, nor,broadand an eye or staple fixed to the seat-frame, I5

1y, a ratchet-bar adapted to hold the chair in allsnbstantially as described.

different positions, such being shown, for an BENJ. O. ODELL. ample, in the patent of French, granted Feb- Vitnesses: ruary 27, 1877. G. M. PLYMProN,

I0 I claim as my inventi0n- EDWARD L. JoHNs. 

